Pauline Baird Jones: Steampunk

My special guest today is Pauline Baird Jones, sometimes known as Perilous Pauline:-) Welcome to the blog, Pauline.

We’d be fascinated to know more about you.

Hello, Susan. I started my adventures in writing in the last century, penning my first, full length novel during the first Gulf War. When I started looking for a publisher, New York was the only game in town, but something exciting was already starting to happen. By 1998, I was sick of trying to crack New York publishing and submitted PIG IN A PARK (now titled THE SPY WHO KISSED ME) to a small, digital-only publisher, one of only three dipping their toes into digital publishing. It was accepted and released in 1998. Following the release, I spent most of my promotion time trying to explain digital publishing, but the book did well with readers (yay and thanks, readers!).

It was the first digital-only release to be nominated for a ROMANTIC TIMES Reviewer’s Choice award. And my next novel, THE LAST ENEMY, was the first digital-only release to win a ROMANTIC TIMES Reviewer’s Choice award.

Congratulations on the success!

Thank you. Since then my novels have won two Epic Book Awards, two RT awards, a Dream Realm Award, a Bronze IPPY, and a Dorothy Parker Award—all without New York’s permission or attention. (grin)

Obviously, I’ve never liked being told there is one way to do anything, or that I can’t do something because “that’s just the way it is.” I took a lot of flack in my early publishing days from other authors and a few readers, but am happy to have been proved RIGHT that digital publishing is the best thing to happen to authors since, well, EVER. (grin)

Pauline, how many books have you written and in what genre(s)?

In May I released my 11^th novel (STEAMROLLED) and my eighth short story (STEAM TIME available in the DREAMSPELL STEAMPUNK anthology). They are both parts of my connected series that I call Project Enterprise.

I write, or have written in science fiction romance, SFR/.steampunk romance, romantic suspense, action adventure, humorous romantic suspense and a lone gothic. I have three non-fiction writing handbooks, too.

11? Wow! You're not only perilous but also prolific.

What prompted you to switch genres from romantic suspense to science fiction romance and then steampunk?

I started writing romantic suspense, because that’s what I read, but I also loved the action adventure novels of Alastair Maclean. I almost didn’t notice that my RS books were trending more and more into A/A and then I did notice and thought, whoa, that’s interesting.

After some pondering, I decided I liked this trend and wanted to pursue it. My first A/A book was called OUT OF TIME. The transition from this WWII time travel to outer space, well, no question it’s a bit odd and at the time, I didn’t think I was writing SFR. I thought I was just writing another A/A novel.

When reviewers and readers started calling it SFR, it kind of freaked me out. I didn’t think I did science (based on my grades in high school, though now that I consider it, I got those grades because I was making up my science back then….) Looking back at my life, I might not have read a lot of SF or SFR until recently, but my viewing tastes trended that way. I started with THE JETSONS, and worked my way through LOST IN SPACE, STAR TREK….I even liked the lame SF shows like LAND OF THE GIANTS. While I’m not a total geek girl, I do have some geek creds. J

The steampunk move is much more straightforward. I read a fun steampunk novel and thought, wow, that would be fun to write. If I hadn’t written a semi-historical novel (OUT OF TIME) I might have balked at the research, but I had and my plan at the time was to write a short story. It turned into a novella (TANGLED IN TIME) that built a fun bridge to STEAMROLLED, which is also an SFR/steampunk mashup. You can’t imagine my thrill when a review said my “soft SF was plausible.” Take that, high school science teachers!

LOL! Tell us about your latest release.

About STEAMROLLED: With all of time at risk, it’s a bad time to fall in love…unless it’s the only time…

Robert Clementyne is going on a transmogrification machine hunt. He fears finding the machine will be as difficult as pronouncing the name. How can the steam-powered device perform as advertised, and how useful can any information be, coming from a steampunk themed bowling alley/museum?

It’s pretty crazy, but he’s been there, done that, and thinks he can handle it.

And then he meets the proprietor/curator…Emily Babcock.

Emily grew up in crazy, still lives in it—hey, it’s her freaking zip code. So no worries when Robert and his team walk into her bowling alley. The first visitors ever to her museum.

But neither of them is prepared for what happens when they open the door to the past…and the future. With a side trip through Roswell…and a face-to-face meeting with an evil genius/wannabe—who is on his way to becoming evil overlord-of-everything…

And a mini blurb about my short story, STEAM TIME: The man formerly known as Tobias Smith hadn’t planned to ride along with Dr. Everly and his Medicine Show. Grifters gave him a pain their elixirs couldn’t heal. But he was headed to Marfa, too. And Everly’s “son” turned out to be a really fine looking damsel—one in distress when the ghost lights of Marfa bump them into an alternate reality complete with an automaton gang and airships.

Intriguing, indeed.

Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

I’m happy to report that all my books are available in print and in a variety of digital formats. The fastest why to find them is on my home page: www.paulinebjones.com

Now Pauline, tell us how you develop characters.

Some years ago, I took a directing class (I’d written a stage play and was interested in learning how to be a better playwright by studying how a director and actors brought a play to life). For my final, I had to direct a one-act play. I picked a funny piece and convinced two of my friends to play the leads. I got a good grade on the assignment, but one piece of criticism really hit me where I lived. My professor pointed out that my two friends had played their parts exactly alike. The only way to tell them apart was their hair color! I took this criticism to heart and always try to create characters that have contrast and originality—particularly important in novels since the reader can’t always “see” the hair color. I don’t make them different just to BE different or weird, but strive for distinct. I was particularly pleased by a reader review on Amazon this week. The reader wrote:

“Even more than the lovely and coherent mix of weird stuff, I loved the well-written interior narratives. Each character has a distinctive voice - enough so that changes of viewpoint don't have to be telegraphed with big rows of asterisks - and several of them are very witty as well.” (Paul Meyer)

Color me uber-pleased. To do this, I still use a lot of playwriting techniques in my character creation. I wrote an article about this topic that I posted on my website here: http://www.paulinebjones.com/getting-the-wood-out.html

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?

Oh, promotion! It is both pleasure (connecting with readers) and pain (feeling like that’s all you do!). I do most of my promoting online, though I do attend science fiction conventions that are within driving distance to promote my work and get support and encouragement from other writers. I also use the usual social networking sites, but I try to do soft promotion.

Instead of the constant “buy my book now,” I try to provide information and talk about elements in my books. I find this a more comfortable approach, because it reflects my own preferences as an avid reader. Buying a book is such a personal thing. How one connects with the way an author uses words, the genres they write, is personal. I have chemistry with some books and not others. I can personally like an author and not care for their books. So I don’t go into any situation believing that all the people will like what I write all the time.

I love that readers can now sample my books through kindle and other digital formats. I also try to post excerpts, so that readers can get a sense of my writing style and offer four, free stories through Omnilit/All Romance eBooks (links on my site).

Another thing I do, for fun and for my readers, is my “Behind the Book” interview with myself. I do it  right after I finish a book. This helps me capture details, trials and funny stories that I might forget for later interviews. It gives readers a peek into my creative process. I even have an interview of myself about what it is like to interview myself. Or something like that. These interviews can be found on my website by clicking on “For Readers.”

I also try to do regular giveaways, though I’m not sure how effective contests are. While I wouldn’t know what to do with “harvested” emails, people are still wary about that these days. I can’t even blame them when the spam piles up in my spam folder every morning.

I try different things, but in the end, I think the best promotion is to write the best you book you can. And then write another. And another. And another. Well, you get the picture. J

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

Right now I’m working on the next PROJECT ENTERPRISE book, which should release in Nov, 2011. After that, well, I’m mulling a new steampunk book and I also get requests for a sequel to OUT OF TIME. I would ask readers to vote, but I tend to commit random acts of writing, going where the Muse leads me, so not sure a vote would work with my Muse.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

You can find out more about me than you’d ever want to know at:

www.perilouspauline.com

Thank you so much for having me here today, Susan. You have an awesome blog!

Why thank you ma'am. It has been a pleasure to have you. Continued success with your prolific endeavors, Pauline. Come back any time!

Dead and Breakfast Anthology Interview

My guests today are Linda Houle, Betty Gordon, Cash Anthony, Gayle Wigglesworth, and Pauline Baird Jones, who have short stories published in the Dead and Breakfast anthology, published by Texas-based L&L Dreamspell.

Linda Houle is an author and the co-owner of L&L Dreamspell, a Texas-based independent publishing company. Her favorite part of the job is designing book covers. She also runs a small wildlife ranch, WESTWIND DREAMS, in the beautiful Texas Hill County.
Linda’s synopsis:

“The Legacy of Ledgemont Inn”: “While Fran is away at college she discovers she’s about to inherit the family B&B on her 21st birthday. Accompanied by her friend Justine, she returns to Ledgemont Inn hoping for a happy reunion with the father she hasn’t seen in years. The girls are in for a shock at the terrible condition of the estate and the frightening demeanor of the new staff—and then things go from bad to worse…”

Betty Gordon: Betty Gordon is a native Texan who delights in storytelling. She draws inspiration for her writing from all aspects life offers emphasizing psychological disorders of the criminal mind. While Betty uses her years in the legal arena for her mysteries that are sprinkled with romance, she also involves her extensive backgrounds in dance and sculpting for additional creations. An example of dance, “Veiled Deception,” is featured in the anthology.

Betty continues her studies with on-line workshops and conferences and memberships in The Final Twist Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Writers’ League of Texas, Houston Writers’ Guild, and Bay Area Writers League.

Betty’s synopsis:

“Dead by Breakfast, An Enchanted Rose Mystery”: When Janie Pitts restored a dilapidated house located in Texas’ Hill Country, she inherited a Casper-like ghost, Henry. Henry is mischievous and fun, but he has friends who are not so friendly. Mrs. Banish, a ghost hunter, is called in to rid the B&B of the unwelcome visitors, but she disappears a short time later. The mystery deepens when a time-worn wedding ring and button from a Civil War uniform is found in the room occupied by the ghost hunter. Did Henry, his friends, or someone else do away with Mrs. Banish?

Betty’s “Veiled Deception, Choreography of a Crime” synopsis:

Zoe Macmillan, belly dancer and owner of a bed and breakfast in the Heights area of Houston, Texas, is preparing for an international dance convention. She supplies a common area of the lodging with a Doumbek (drum) and several swords for use by her guests. The bed and breakfast is robbed—these are the only items missing. Humor, romance, suspense, and Tarot cards lead to the capture of an individual hell-bent on killing Zoe Macmillan.

Pauline Baird Jones is the award-winning author of nine novels. Her latest releases are Girl Gone Nova and Out of Time (wide digital /limited print release). She's also written a steampunk novella called Tangled in Time that will release in 2010. She's written three non-fiction books. Pauline, give us a synop of your story.

"Do Wah Diddy Die Already":  Luci Seymour is out of the murder business and in the mom/wife/B&B business. Until the morning she sees a body in the new freezer. But when she goes to call in her homicide detective husband, she sees the dead guy walk in the front door. Not dead. Not even chilly... (The characters in this story are from the novel, Do Wah Diddy Die)

Elaine ( Cash) Anthony is a Houston writer, director, and producer. She’s the author of short stories, feature-length screenplays, adaptations, B&B murder mysteries and short films. Two of her efforts may be seen on the website for her company, The Master Strategy Group, at http://msg.msgroup.org. Though she no longer practices law actively, she is an A-V rate attorney and a former judicial candidate, and she served as a prosecutor for Harris County, TX. Cash lives in south-central Houston with her husband Tim Hogan, cats Sam and Cora, and Gypsy the husky. Her business/writing partner James R. Davis often assists with her mysteries.

The story in Dead and Breakfast, "The Stand-In", is the first in my Jessie Carr series. It’s autobiographical in part, like the others, as I’ve had some fascinating weekends at B&Bs. The more recent stories in the series are based on other experiences I’ve had while touring the U.S. on my motorcycle with my business partner, James Davis, or while practicing law for over a dozen years as a trial lawyer and consumer advocate.

Two more stories in the series have been published, and a fourth, called "Yes, She Bites", is due out this fall. In addition to the Jessie Carr stories, I write and adapt feature-length screenplays and short scripts. This year I’m also honored to be serving as president of The Final Twist, our writers group.

Gayle Wigglesworth is a retired bank executive who has always wanted to be a published author, so she took an early retirement to concentrate her efforts.  She joined the writing group, The Final Twist, very close to when it was first formed and appreciated all the help she received in learning to promote books. "When we decided we needed to develop our first anthology to help more of our members to get published and to build up some income for our group, I wanted to be a part of it so I had to come up with a story.

The idea for “I Love a Parade” came from a gutsy friend, who sold her business and house, put her worldly goods in storage and traveled the world for a couple years before deciding where she wanted to put down roots for the last part of her life. The plot was developed from a memory of a parade I witnessed in a small, picturesque town where I once stopped overnight at a bed and breakfast facility. All I had to do was start thinking ‘what if?’ and suddenly the story was there.

Do you write any other genres?

Linda: Mystery, Suspense, Romance, Erotica, Mainstream, Paranormal, and Non-Fiction.

Betty: Suspense, romantic/paranormal, and thriller

Pauline: Science fiction romance, Steampunk, action-adventure, suspense, romantic suspense and comedy-mystery—sometimes all at the same time. (grin)

Cash:  I write mystery, thriller, and adventure stories, and I have a medico-legal thriller novel in the works, called “A Week of Wednesdays”. Occasionally I’ve co-written weekend “murder mystery entertainments” for B&Bs.

Gayle:  I have written and published a cookbook with family stories. However, I love traditional mysteries, reading them, and writing them, so I concentrate my writing in that genre.

What books came along at just the right time to influence your reading/writing?

Linda: I grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. I also enjoy Agatha Christie’s stories.

Betty: When I originally focused on writing mysteries, Robert Crais’ books were recommended and read with enthusiasm. Not long after, Murder by the Book featured Crais during an author’s lunch which continued to fuel my growth. There were others, of course, Lee Child, Jonathan Kellerman, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Jackson, and many more..

Pauline: The “book” that came along was actually a movie: "The Moonspinners" with Haley Mills as star. I noticed that it was based on a book by Mary Stewart. I looked it up and was hooked for life. When I decided to write my first novel, my goal was to be as interesting as Mary Stewart.

Cash:  My reading varies between fiction in the genres I like to write in, and non-fiction which tends to support some story idea I’m researching. Favorite fiction authors these days are Jeffrey Deaver, Michael Connelly, Lee Childs, Laurie King, Anne Perry, Thomas Perry, and John Connelly, whose novel The Black Angel is one of the finest I’ve read. I also read the daily newspaper, the Washington Post, and the New Yorker magazine.

Gayle:  When I was young I found Jane Eyre and then became a fan of the Gothic Mysteries written by Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt. Although my taste in mysteries has grown and changed much since those days, I’m sure that combination of history, romance and mystery has had a major impact on my writing to this day.

What makes a good story?

Linda: Anything that evokes emotion or curiosity.

Betty: Characters that grab readers and keep their attention until the end of the story, a believable plot shadowed with clues that play fair with readers and threads itself through the story to a satisfying ending.

Pauline: For short stories it needs a tight premise, a fast hook into the story and solid ending.

Cash:  Unique characters caught in an intriguing situation fraught with increasing suspense; and terrifying villains who know their secrets. Eventually, familiar characters whom we have come to love will draw a reader’s interest, just to see what they’re up to now.

Gayle:  Mix interesting characters in a compelling plot.

Is there a different writing process for short stories than there is for novels?

Linda: Short stories don’t require as much planning as full length books.

Betty: There is no difference for me except to create a shorter trail. Since the story arc is the same, I develop all aspects of a short story tale on a diminished scale.

Pauline: I find that I need to write shorter for short stories and longer for long ones. If I could find a way to reverse this process, I could write my novels faster, but so far that’s the way it works.

Cash:  I go at a short story with much more spontaneity and less structural planning, once I get the idea. This means I usually write more than the story needs and have to delete a lot of the non-essentials once the first draft is done. There’s also much less opportunity for the characters to ruminate; who they are has to be revealed through their actions, so the plotting must be tight.

Gayle:  A short story requires the author to always be aware of the number of words used. The right words have to be selected to tell the most in the shortest amount of space. In a full length novel the author can/must segue into sub-plots during the story to develop motivation, to grow characters and to explain the complexities of the action while helping to move the story through the scenes to its conclusion. A short story doesn’t have the luxury of using that method.

How do you discipline yourself when writing?

Linda: The right story comes pouring out with no discipline required. If I feel I am forcing myself to write, then I set that project aside for a few months. Later, if it still feels forced, then it should be scrapped altogether.

Betty: I begin most days as I would any job. The great part is I don’t have to drive anywhere. I simply sit in front of the computer and hope my Muse visits. I have learned that if inspiration is elusive, I go to emails or just stop for a time—the afternoon usually becomes more productive.

Pauline: I have to promise myself stuff when I first start, but once I’m in the meat of the story, the hard part is stopping. I once typed so long that the ends of my fingers went numb. I didn’t know there are muscles in your fingers that can get sore.

Cash:  If I have a deadline coming up, I’ll get busy. ;) If I have a competition to enter, I’ll work and work to refine the project that’s going to be judged. Otherwise, I read all the time, and I make vast numbers of notes (many of which disappear into my stacks of earlier notes) that relate to my current project. It’s always in the back of my mind, even if I’m apparently ‘drifting and dreaming.’ Then I’ll write in spurts, reflect in spurts, rewrite, and try to keep going to the end.

Gayle:  I’m at the stage of my life I’m either disciplined or forget it. Two things will motivate me to write a story: a story I want to tell and a deadline I have agreed to hit. I know how to plan and use my time to meet my goals.

Have you participated in any other anthologies? If so, which ones?

Linda: Currently available from L&L Dreamspell: A Death in Texas, A Box of Texas Chocolates, The Mystery of the Green Mist, Vampire Dreamspell, Sleeping with the Undead and coming soon from L&L Dreamspell: Cats in a Dreamspell, Dreamspell Goddess, Dreamspell Revenge 2, and Erotic Dreamspell.


Betty: “Anna Rose” in A Death in Texas,“The Cowboy’s Rose” in A Box of Texas Chocolates,“Twisted Tales of Texas Landmarks” (coming soon) and two stories: “Crystals, Rainbows and Oz” and “The Great Spirit”.

Pauline: A Death in Texas, Ghostly Dreamspell, Mystery of the Green Mist, Romance of My Dreams II, and A Box of Texas Chocolates.

Cash:  Yes, in A Death in Texas and A Box of Texas Chocolates.  My next short story will appear in Twisted Tales of Texas Landmarks this fall.


When writing, what themes do you feel passionate about?

Linda: For fiction, mystery and the paranormal/unexplained. For non-fiction, metaphysical themes, especially about the nature of consciousness.

Betty: Justice for victims and/or crime and punishment, crime puzzles that move through mazes of misdirection, psychological twists and turns of romance—who wins, who loses and why.

Pauline: I like themes from movies. Both original "Star Wars" and the new one are beautiful. I really liked "Chariots of Fire", too. It’s hard to put that in a book. Maybe when the multimedia books become a reality, I’ll be able to have a really cool theme for my novels. (grin)

Cash:  I share with my heroine Jessie Carr a realistic skepticism about how well justice is served for the “little guy” who gets the shaft in a scam, as well as her desire to find creative ways to even the score. Since there are plenty of scams and schemes going down at any given time, Jessie has much to be passionate about. Animals, old people and children – anyone who’s weak and has been preyed upon without a remedy – are likely clients for her specialized skills; and those situations are likely to catch my interest.

Gayle:  Mostly I like the good guys to win. You will find that many different ways in my stories, I guess because I’m hoping that it is true.

Agatha Christie once said, “The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.” When and where do you plan?

Linda: While driving.
(GULP!)

Betty: Most of my plans are either when I go to bed or when I awake in the morning. There is also that indeterminable amount of time in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep and start thinking about characters or plots. Of course, after that sleep is forgotten.

Pauline: I plan everywhere, except when I’m driving. It’s too easy to lose track of where I am. My family claims they can tell when I’m plotting. I’ll get a “you’re not putting me in a book, are you?” from them sometimes. Or my husband will say, “You just killed me again, didn’t you?” Naturally I reserve the right to remain silent. (grin)

Cash:  I plan from the moment I get an inspiration about a story until it’s written and re-written to my satisfaction. I have many formal and informal ways to make that plan work for me, but I often find I’m having a brainstorm in the shower or while I’m cooking.

Gayle:  Even better than dishes is while doing a long-distance drive. Plug the iPod into the car and as the miles pass the ideas flow. I worked out the characters and plot for "Cruisin’ for a Bruisin" driving across Arizona, and solved the plot problems in Malice in Mexico on another trip through New Mexico and West Texas. Given any challenge I only have to arrange a trip.

Gayle, this sounds wonderful. I may use this approach from now on.

Do you have other writing projects underway, ladies?

Linda: Too many to count!

Betty: I have contracts with L&L Dreamspell for two novels that I’m very excited about. More to come later.

Pauline: I’m working on a whacky, but hopefully fun, Steampunk/science fiction romance, a connected story to Girl Gone Nova and Tangled in Time. It’s tentatively titled Steamrolled. I plan to complete it by this fall if my head doesn’t explode first.

Cash:  I’m refining an adaptation of the novel, “Ninth Lord of the Night,” by Diana Driver, which will be a feature-length movie script called “The Calendar Codex.” I have two more short stories due soon for another anthology, and I have six more Jessie Carr stories in various states that I need to polish. Much to my surprise, I recently found that I’d outlined a complete novel a few years ago and tucked it away, so I plan to pull that out and see where it might go; and I’ve got three more screenplays started. It never stops!

Gayle:  I just submitted the sixth book in my Claire Gulliver Series to my publisher; it is due out in September, this year. I am working on the first adventure in the series I have started based on the character in the story in this anthology. Right now I’m calling that book Murder Most Mystifying, a Glenda at Large Mystery, but who knows what I’ll be calling it by the time it’s finished. I have the plot for the first three of this series already in my head.

Where can readers learn more about you?

Linda: www.lldreamspell.com/LindaHoule.htm

Betty: Readers can learn more about me on my website www.bettygordon.com. I am on Facebook and Twitter.

Pauline: www.perilouspauline.com (or they can call my mom.)

Cash:  They can go to my website, which is at http://msg.msgroup.org/default.aspx. There they can see two of the short films I’ve written, directed, and produced as learning tools. My background is pretty well documented there, too.

Gayle:  Check out my website: www.gaylewigglesworth.com

Ladies, it has been a great pleasure. Continued success to all of you. I'm proud to be in your company.
(For more information about Dead and Breakfast and other Dreamspell publications, go to www.lldreamspell.com)

A Death in Texas interview

Texas-based L&L Dreamspell published A Death in Texas , an anthology of stories about...well, death in Texas. I hope you enjoy my interview with five of the authors who contributed murder and mayhem to this book: Pauline Baird Jones, Loretta Wheeler, Diana Driver, Laura Elvebak, and Shirley Wetzel.

Welcome, ladies. First, congratulations to all of you who have work published in this anthology.


Pauline, please introduce yourself and give us a short synopsis of your story.

I'm Pauline Baird Jones, the award-winning author of nine novels of science fiction romance, action-adventure, suspense, romantic suspense and comedy-mystery, three non-fiction handbooks for writers.


In  "Men in Jeans", Richard Daniels thinks life can't get any stranger working at Area 51 until he is assigned to find out where a Houston area SF writer gets the ideas for her books. Should be an easy assignment--if it weren't for the dead guy in her back yard and the non-business related ideas she's giving him.

I'm intrigued, Pauline.

Loretta, welcome, and tell us a little bit about you.

Hi, Susan. Thank you for having me here today. It’s always been a pleasure to visit here, and doubly nice to find myself being interviewed.

I'm Loretta Wheeler and I currently live in a suburb just outside of Houston, Texas along with my Australian husband and our cat, Lil’ Dickens. When I married John, I moved to Australia for seven years and now have come almost full circle, living within 10 miles of where I lived before. As someone said to me when I returned, I went halfway around the world to wind up in the same spot. My furniture has traveled to more places than some people:)

I write thrillers, and most have paranormal overtones in them. "Dark Pleasures", which is my short story in the A Death in Texas anthology, is a more typical thriller, dealing with a psychopath, a criminal psychologist, a detective, and last but definitely not least, a dog. The dog (Hob) begins as a metaphor but quickly emerges as something more. Much more. Hob fills a very strong niche’ in the story as it develops, and it’s one I think the reader will not only find intriguing, but also extremely unusual. This particular short story was written as a prequel for the novel that will follow.

Fantastic!
Diana, it's nice to have you join us. Please tell us about yourself and your story.

Diana Driver:  I’m originally from Cheyenne, Wyoming, but have lived most of my life in Texas.

"Die Mahnung" (The Warning) is a murder mystery, set in a small Texas town. “Jake was the law in this small, sparsely populated Texas county and he decided which laws people obeyed - and which laws he didn't give a hot damn about. When residents began dying, Jake's wife, Jesse, wondered if Jake thought it was okay to get away with...murder.”

Interesting.

Laura Elvebak is the author of LESS DEAD (2008) and LOST WITNESS (2009), (L&L Dreamspell), both awarded five star reviews on Amazon, which features Niki Alexander, an ex-cop turned teen counselor. Her published short stories are "Searching for Rachel" featured in A DEATH IN TEXAS, and “Dying For Chocolate” in the award winning A BOX OF TEXAS CHOCOLATES. Several of her screenplays were written for-hire and optioned. Originally from Los Angeles, Laura now lives in Houston, Texas. Laura is a former chapter president of Mystery Writers of America, is serving a third term as Southwest Chapter’s Treasurer and is the continuing editor of The Sleuth Sayer, the chapter’s newsletter. She is a member of Sisters-In-Crime and The Final Twist Writers.

Welcome, Laura. Please give us a short synopsis of your story.

Okay. Thanks. “Searching for Rachel” is about the disappearance of Rachel  and how it changed her younger sister Tracy's life forever. Now after two years, Tracy has no one. After her father walked out on the family, her mother gave up. Now alone and scared, Tracy is out on the street searching for the runaway Rachel, certain that if she finds her, her father would come home.

Sounds great.

Shirley, how about a few details about yourself?

Shirley Wetzel:  I've been writing since I was first able to hold a pencil, and reading before that. My first "published" book was an autobiography, written when I was in the third grade. It was a pretty short book. I'm a native Texan, born in Comanche in the first wave of Baby Boomers. My dad was in the Navy, so we lived all over the country, finally settling down back in Texas. I have a B.A. from Texas Tech University, an M.A. in Anthropology from Rice University, and an M.S. in Library Science from the University of North Texas. I've been a librarian at Rice University for 28 years. Here's the synopsis for "Feels Like Home" , from A Death in Texas:


Normally, Judy West looked forward to leaving the big city of Houston to return to her roots in Comanche, Texas and visit with her many kinfolks. This trip was different, however. We were gathering in the lovingly restored home of my paternal grandparents to discuss a family tragedy. Cousin Sam, one of the best and brightest of us, had returned from Vietnam a troubled, unhappy man, got involved in the drug trade, and was murdered by his cohorts in crime. They burned down the meth lab, and along with it the ancient log homestead of our Harman ancestors. We all grieved for Sam, for his family, and for our lost history. By the end of the weekend, we had more to grieve about, as unpleasant family skeletons came out of the closet.

Wow! You have my attention, Shirley.
Do you guys write any other genres?

Jones:  The short answer is yes. I tend to wander through generes and liberally mix them together.

Wheeler:  I’ve written one romantic short story titled "The Pan Man". It won an honorable mention on the Long and Short Review and is in their archive section now. I wanted to see if I could write a YA with a happy ever after ending, and was quite delighted when it placed. I’ve also written a children’s story, but it hasn’t found a home as of this time. Its title is "A Butterbean Named A”.

Driver:  My novel, Ninth Lord of the Night is a contemporary and a mix of fantasy & magical realism. The companion book, The Maya, People of the Maize is a non-fiction guidebook about the classic Maya civilization. "Valentine’s Day" is a romantic short story and is included in the anthology, A Box of Texas Chocolates. My next release, The Amber Rune, is a fantasy, based on Norwegian myths and legends.

Elvebak: Mainly mystery suspense, although I have published self help articles for Single Again Magazine in California. Also two of the screenplays I wrote for hire revolved around the 1900 Galveston Storm and another one was a children’s comedy.

Wetzel:  I write historical articles, academic papers, a few poems, and personal essays. I also do book reviews for the mystery website http://www.overmydeadbody.com/

What books came along at just the right time to influence your reading/writing?

Jones: Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande. It’s a wonderful book for the new author not sure he/she has what it takes to be a writer. Playwriting: The Structure of Action by Sam Smiley. I learned SO much about creating characters from this book.

Wheeler: I was one of those avid readers, and moved through several genres, but I was always more drawn to thrillers. I read Poe at a young age, and everything Phyllis A. Whitney wrote, moving rapidly on to Stephen King’s work, along with Dean Koontz and Anne Rice. Stephen King’s The Stand was one of the most profound for me. I enjoyed the way he took something very dark and taught life lessons within it. I also like the idea that he always pushes the envelope. It opens more envelopes for us as new writers.
 
Driver: Not books so much as information over the internet about the WWII P.O.W. camps located in Texas that held prisoners of Rommel’s elite corps.

Elvebak:  Jonathan Kellerman writes about Dr. Alex Delaware, a child psychologist, who helps the police solves crimes that involve children with severe psychological problems. He probably influenced me the most in writing about Niki Alexander.
James Lee Burke influenced me in a different way in that I loved his characters and his descriptions, as did Robert B. Parker. In some ways, their styles were so different, Parker’s being very spare and Burke painting such vivid pictures with words. Both had a very concise idea of justice.

Wetzel:  That's a very hard question. I was influenced by the Nancy Drew books, and others of that type, before I was twelve. Then I discovered Agatha Christie, and went on from there. Because I have a degree in archeology, Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series certainly influenced my writing. I found Stephen King's book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, inspirational and filled with practical information

What makes a good story?

Jones:  Good storytelling. LOL! Okay, let’s see, you need to pull the reader into the story, keep them in the story, entertain and surprise them, and then deliver on the ending.

Wheeler:  I think that varies from person to person. That’s why the bookstores are full. For me, it’s mainly the tension, but I also like it if the story can incorporate a life lesson, or the acceptance of something outside what’s considered a normal concept.

Driver:  Good stories are created by skilled writers who know how to use story elements to their full advantage. A good writer knows how to pace a plot, how to develop a character, set a scene, create dialogue, and use description to its maximum advantage.
The above being said, reading likes and dislikes vary widely. A good story is only considered good if the reader enjoys reading the genre in which the story is written.

Elvebak: Memorable characters who have to conquer seemingly insurmountable problems.

Wetzel:  First of all, an interesting, believable protagonist and a good supporting cast of characters. Setting is important to me, with details that allow me to visualize exactly what the characters are seeing, feeling, even smelling. I'm a Virgo, and a librarian and historian, so I want those details to be correct. A reader at all familiar with a particular place or profession can tell when the writer has been lazy or sloppy with the research. Oh, and a coherent plot is nice too.

Is there a different writing process for short stories than there is for novels?

Jones: Write shorter. That is obvious., but not that easy for me. I tend to write long, complicated plots.

Wheeler:  Well, I know it takes a lot less time for a short story! I refer to it as icing. It’s a treat. More like instant gratification. I do a light outline of the short story, sit down, and let it take over. For a novel, I begin with the outline, then do character sheets, and of course, quite a bit more research. But as with the short story, for me, the story takes over, and I travel down some paths I hadn’t planned.

Driver:  The only difference between creating a short story and a novel is the length; both long and short fiction have a beginning, middle, and end, but in a piece of short fiction there’s no room for intricate and detailed subplots.

Elvebak:  I have to discipline myself to write short, work with one plot instead of using subplots. I actually found it easier than I expected. The problem was tearing myself away from writing the novel and interrupting the flow to write something completely different. It usually was a blessing in the end, showing that I needed that break and to come back to the novel with fresh eyes.

Wetzel:  I find short stories to be more difficult to write than novels because so much must be said in such a limited number of words. Then again, they are easier to finish. I have several finished short stories, and one novel that has been languishing unfinished for some time.

How do you discipline yourself when writing?

Jones:  I use a reward system. If I get xx number of words written, or solve xx problems, then I get to read xx book or xx movie or I can go eat xx.

Wheeler:  Oh streuth! (As they say in Australia). That’s the equivalent of OMG. I do have a hard time with the discipline. The best way for me to achieve my goal is for someone to set a deadline for me, or set it myself. I seem to need that.

Driver:  I stay off the Internet.

I need to discipline myself that way too.

Elvebak:  When the writing is going well, I get completely lost in it. Time means nothing. It melts away. I procrastinate sometimes before I start writing. I’ll finish reading all my email, read blogs, play Freecell, but once I start, I don’t want to stop, and I hate being interrupted. But that’s another discipline.

Wetzel:  This is my biggest problem. I try to follow the adage to "put butt in chair and write," but I'm not too good at that. In 1996 I wrote in my diary "My muse is like the Texas weather: long spells of drought and despair followed by days of wild, uncontrolled outpourings from the skies." Having a deadline is the main thing that makes me sit down and get to work.

Have you participated in  any other anthologies? If so, which ones?

Jones:  Short stories were painful for me at first, but became my lifeline during a family crisis. When I lacked time to write long, short kept me going. I am in the following anthologies: Dead and Breakfast, A Box of Texas Chocolates, Ghostly Dreamspell, The Mystery of the Green Mist, and Romance of My Dreams I (two stories).

Wheeler:  Yes, I have a story entitled "Siren’s Call" in the Erotic Dreamspell anthology, due to release in the winter of 2010.

Driver:  I have another mystery short story, "The End of the Tour", in the Dead and Breakfast anthology and a sweet romance, "Valentine’s Day", as I said earlier, is in A Box of Texas Chocolates. Both anthologies are published by L&L Dreamspell.

Elvebak:  I have a short story in A Box of Texas Chocolates entitled “Dying For Chocolate”. It's also a L&L Dreamspell anthology.

Wetzel:  A personal essay I wrote about the unusual love story of my aunt and uncle, titled "Two Dollar Wife," was published in A Cup of Comfort for Weddings: Something Old, Something New, in 2005. http://www.adamsmediastore.com/product/808/27? . I have a historical, creative-non-fiction ghost story called "Sarah Hornsby's Dream" coming out in the next Final Twist anthology, Twisted Tales of Texas Landmarks, being published by L&L Dreamspell this year.

When writing, what themes do you feel passionate about?

Jones:  I’m pretty passionate about not liking themes, probably a hangover from school. Despite my best efforts, I can see themes creeping into my writing. Perhaps because of when I was born (a long time ago) and the tumults of my informative years (women’s emancipation) I find myself writing a lot of about identity and women’s roles, but I try not to be too serious about it.

Wheeler:  Thinking outside the box. In some of my writing, I strive to incorporate some of my belief system. In "Dark Pleasures", the reader sees animals and telepathy in a very different light.
In "The Image", my current work in progress for an e-book, I touch lightly on quantum physics, and how our thoughts are more powerful than we could ever have imagined.

Driver:  There were two themes in Ninth Lord of the Night that I was passionate about. The first, and most important, was that the reader understands the importance of preserving written history. The second theme, and one that occurs again and again in my writing, is that you have to be true to yourself and not live your life according to false principles and predetermined ideas.

Elvebak:  Homeless children and how they got there and how they survive. I’ve used that theme in my Niki Alexander books. I seek answers as to what drives a person to deviant behavior; the psychology of madness or evil; family dynamics and dysfunction.

Wetzel:  Family, relationships, justice, and the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity

Francis Bacon once said, "Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable." Where are you when you have your most inspiring moments and how do you react to them?

Jones:  I get inspired in many places, but I probably feel most inspired when I am in the mountains. I grew up surrounded by them and miss them where I live now, so it’s always great when I can get home and reconnect. Mountains give you perspective and that’s always good. I am more grounded when I leave them behind.

Wheeler:  I have them anywhere, at any time. I was recently working on a short story for a competition, and got the opening sentence while waiting in line at the Nutcracker.

Whitfield:  Okay, I have to jump in here and snicker, Loretta. You apparently get inspiration in much the same wacky way I do. Love it!

Wheeler:  Fortunately for me it was a short sentence and I was able to wait to write it down. I normally keep writing material around me when at home, but I can tell I’m going to have to start dragging notepads around with me from now on.

Driver:  My best thoughts and ideas come when I’m doing something mundane like housework or just before I drift off to sleep. During those times my mind drifts into the scene I’m working on and I can visualize all the details.

Elvebak:  Usually about 3:00 or 4:30 in the morning. Then I can’t get back to sleep. I’ll be inspired by a dream or a solution to a problem that’s just occurred to me upon waking. I’ll mull over it until I’m wide awake and I’ll either write it down or it will cook in my head until it’s ready to spill over on the page.

Wetzel:  Inspiring moments may come to me anytime and anywhere. They often come to me as I'm drifting off to sleep, in my dreams, and when I'm on the edge of waking up. For these, I have a pen and paper on the table next to my bed. I carry a notepad, and listen to conversations going on around me, at the grocery store, on the shuttle bus, waiting for a doctor's appointment … Many of those conversations these days are one-way, because so many people are on their cell phones, and I have to fill in the other side of the conversation. Once in a great while, something said in a television program or movie strikes me, and books by my favorite authors often have inspiring content.

Do you have any other writing projects underway?

Jones:  In addition to promoting my latest release Girl Gone Nova, and looking forward to the release of my Steampunk/science fiction romance novella, Tangled in Time in 12/2010, I am writing a new novel in my Project Universe/Garradian Galaxy series. Each book can be read stand alone, but they are more fun, IMHO, if you read them all.

Wheeler:  Yes, as mentioned earlier, I’m currently working on The Image, which is novella size and releasing as an e-book. I will return to The Midnight Dance/The Devereaux Chronicles once I’ve completed The Image. The Midnight Dance helped me achieve my PRO position in the RWA when the Marsal Lyon Agency requested a look at the manuscript after reviewing my pitch and query letter. Following that, I will revisit "Dark Pleasures" to complete the story I began in A Death in Texas.

Driver:  Right now I’m writing a fantasy, The Amber Rune. This involves researching runology, occult magic, the Nordic pantheon, and reading ancient Nordic manuscripts.

Elvebak:  I am working on a stand-alone that takes place in the sixties in Philadelphia and revolves around the demimonde world of bar girls and go go dancers. I’m also working on another short story for the next Final Twist Anthology. I had also started on the third Niki Alexander mystery.

Wetzel:  I have a few mystery short stories finished and waiting to be polished, and a mystery novel long a work in progress. My father died recently, at the age of 89, and for the last few years I recorded his stories about growing up, about family members long gone, and about his service in the Navy in WWII. My mother is 89, and I'm now gathering her stories and memories. I've been scanning old family photos, some of them over one hundred years old, and turning them into albums to share with my other relatives. Along the way, in organizing the photos chronologically and in family groups, I realized I've been "writing" our family history. That project is demanding to be done now, while my Mother and other elderly sources are still here to identify people in the photos that I don't know.

Where can readers learn more about you?

Jones:  http://www.perilouspauline.com/

Wheeler:  I have two websites for each of the names I write under, and I am on Facebook, listed as Loretta Wheeler. On MySpace I can be found under Southern Nuances. Both of my websites are currently in the process of being updated.

http://www.lorettawheeler.com/
http://www.lreveaux.com/
http://www.myspace.com/southernnuances

Driver: My website is http://www.dianadriver.com/

Elvebak: My website: www.lauraelvebak.com and my blog, which I need to attend to more, http://www.lauraelvebak.blogspot.com/

Wetzel:   On my blog, http://swetzel.wordpress.com/, and on the L&L Dreamspell and the Final Twist websites.
 
Thank you ladies, for joining together for this interview. Bloggers, for more information about A Death in Texas and other Dreamspell publications, go to http://www.lldreamspell.com/